Chef Jun-Woo Park Defends Fellow Chef Sung-Jae Ahn Amidst Online Criticism Over 'Dubai Chewy Cookie' Recipe

Chef Jun-Woo Park, known for being the runner-up on 'MasterChef Korea 1', has expressed strong support for Chef Sung-Jae Ahn, who recently faced harsh online criticism for his 'Dubai Chewy Cookie' recipe.

On his YouTube channel 'Jun-Woo Park's Delicious Junne', Chef Park uploaded a video titled 'Understanding Chef Sung-Jae Ahn's Feelings While Making Dubai Chewy Cookie'.

In the video, Chef Park opted for pistachio paste instead of the commonly used pistachio spread, creating his own unique recipe.

During the cooking process, Chef Park shared his honest thoughts about the dessert's form. He remarked, "When I first heard the name 'Dubai Chewy Cookie', I expected it to be flat like a typical cookie with marshmallow inside, but the trending style was completely different," expressing his surprise.

When a writer on set mentioned that Chef Ahn's creation was mockingly called 'Dubai Hard Candy' by netizens, Chef Park immediately defended Chef Ahn. He emphasized, "Chef Ahn's approach is a very typical method for a chef." Park also admitted that if he had not researched beforehand, he might have made the same mistake as Chef Ahn, supporting his colleague's creative attempt.

Previously, Chef Ahn attempted to make the Dubai Chewy Cookie at his daughter's earnest request. Despite her pleas, he insisted on modifying the recipe, which led to criticism from netizens for altering the original. The video sparked heated debate, garnering over 13,000 comments, and eventually led Chef Ahn to revise and improve his recipe in what he called an 'A/S' session.

Reporter Chaeryeong Lim, TenAsia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr